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Cahiers de géographie du Québec
Cahiers de géographie du Québec
Recent Contributions to the Geography of South Asia
Pradyumna P. Karan
Volume 10, numéro 20, 1966
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Département de géographie de l’Université Laval
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Pradyumna P. Karan "Recent Contributions to the Geography of
South Asia." Cahiers de géographie du Québec 1020 (1966): 317–
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317
NOTES
DEMI:, Lâszlo, Helyesirâsi rcndszerûnk Iogikâja. La logique de notre système grammatical, Magyar Nyelvôr, Budapest, 1964.
FÂBIÂN, Pal, Fckote tenger vagy Fekete-tenger? Mer Noire ou Mer-Noire? Geod. es Kart.,
Budapest, 1964.
FÂBIÂN, Pal, FOLDI, HÔNYI jr. A foldrajzi nevek es megjelôlések irâsânak szabâlyai. Les règles
de l'écriture des noms et des localisations géographiques, Az A F T H mellett mûkôdô
Foldrajzinév-bizottsâg, Budapest, 1965.
Récent Contributions to t h e Geography of South Asia *
Since 0 . H. K. Spate's 1950 review article, 1 summarizing contributions
to the geography of India and Pakistan before the dissolution of the British
Raj, geography has made a substantial advance in both research and éducation
in the Indian subcontinent. This growth is reflected in the expansion of geography teaching at universities and collèges and the increasing number of geography
books and journals now being published in India and Pakistan. Professor
Chatterjee, of Calcutta University, has summarized the progress of geography
in India in a comprehensive volume published recently by the Indian Science
Congress.2
It should be noted at the outset that the quality of géographie instruction, research and publication remains uneven. Although several Indian and
Pakistani universities award Honours and M. A. Degrees, only a few hâve strong
geography departments. The most outstanding geography department in India
is at Banaras (Varanasi), where the Faculty is very active in research under
the able guidance of professor R. L. Singh. In récent years several major geographical books hâve been authored by Banaras Faculty members.
In Pakistan geography is most vigorous at Dacca in East Pakistan and
at Lahore in West Pakistan. In Népal geography is taught up to the Master's
Ievel at Tribhuban University in Katmandu, and there has been a geography
department at Ceylon since 1942. At Ieast one or more geographers on the
Faculty at each of the above schools hâve had advanced training at universities
in Europe or the U.S.
This paper attempts to review selected publications which hâve appeared
since 1950. The emphasis of the présent survey is largely on books written by
native South Asian geographers. Only a few significant published works by
European and American geographers and students in related fields hâve been
included. Journal articles hâve been completely excluded from this review.
In gênerai, officiai government publications are also not included in this
review. It is assumed that students of South Asian geography are aware of
the steady flow of materials from government departments of the various nations. In particular, officiai agencies such as the Departments of Census,
Meteorology, Geological Survey and the Bureau of Statistics provide data of
great geographical value in India and Pakistan.
Periodical sources are many and varied. Of the principal Indian periodicals, the National Geographical Journal of India, Geographical Review of India,
* The term South Asia as used in this paper refers to India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Népal,
Sikkim and Bhutan.
1
S PÂTE, O. H. K., Taking Stock in India and Pakistan : A Review, in Geographical Review,
Vol. 40, 1950, pp. 279-284.
2
CHATTERJEE, S. P., Fifty Years of Science in India: Progress of Geography, Calcutta,
Indian Science Congress Association, 1964, 277 pages.
Cahiers de Géographie de Québec — 9
318
CAHIERS DE GEOGRAPHIE
and Indian Geographical Journal, published in Varanasi (Banaras), Calcutta
and Madras respectively, are of major interest. Two other Indian journals,
Bombay Geographical Magazine and Deccan Geographer, published since 1953
and 1962 respectively, contain materials of interest on ail aspects of Indian
geography. In Pakistan the Geographical Review oj Pakistan and the Oriental
Geographer, published in West and East Pakistan respectively, offer scholarly
articles. Another journal, Geografia, was Iaunched in 1962 by the Pakistan
Institute of Geography at Karachi. The Ceylon Geographer, published by the
Ceylon Geographical Society since 1945, contains scholarly articles on Ceylon.
With few exceptions, the published work of South Asian geographers
reflects a gênerai tendency toward encyclopedism, a Iack of challenging interprétation of geographical facts, and failure to use analytical concepts. Applied
studies are currently at an all-time peak and, for the most part, can be attributed to the économie development plans. A welcome feature is the upsurge of
microgeographical studies from local scholars in various universities. Thèse
fragmented studies may eventually contribute to more substantial works. Interest in geomorphology remains high in South Asia, but in the number of geographers and their activities, human geography is becoming increasingly important. Settlement geography is becoming a strong point, with urban morphoîogical studies predominating. Interest in économie geography, once limited
mainly to agriculture, is expanding. This is most Iikely in. response to the current
préoccupation with measuring resource potential and the attempt to maximize
its use.
South Asia : Country Studies
Spate's India and Pakistan4 is the most comprehensive work on South
Asia. First published in 1954, it summarizes the many years of professor
Spate's thinking, studying and writing on the Indian subcontinent. The second
édition appeared in 1957, and a new third édition is scheduled to appear in 1966.
This book has been widely reviewed and discussed as a standard work on the
geography of the Indian subcontinent 5 .
Most of the book is rightly concerned with India and Pakistan, but
Ceylon is given a brief treatment at the end in a 40 page chapter by B. H. Farmer. Népal is described in about 10 pages, Sikkim receives two brief pages,
and there are three paragraphs on Bhutan. It is hoped that the new 1966
revised édition will contain a more detailed treatment of the Himalayan countries.
India
Although there is no comprehensive geographical study of India by an
Indian geographer, two récent books by Americans should be noted. Béatrice
Lamb, who has made several trips to India, has packed ail the essential information about the baffling country — its history, people, social System, villages
and towns, its efforts toward development — in her well-written book.6 The
chief merit of this book lies in the clarity of its organization and the brevity
with which well-marshalled facts are presented. Its main weakness is failure
to probe beneath the material so ably presented to a Ievel deep enough to give
the inquiring reader the feeling of having entered the world of India.
3
STONER, George E., Jr., Notable Geographical Contributions of the Indian Census of 1961,
in The Professional Geographer, Vol. 17, November, 1965, pp. 17-20.
1
SPATE, O. H. K., India and Pakistan : A General and Régional Geography, Second
revised édition, New York, E. P. Dutton and Co., Inc., 1957, 829 pages.
5
See Geographical Review, Vol. 45, 1955, pp. 436-437.
6
LAMB, Béatrice Pitney, India : A World in Transition, Revised édition, New York,
Frederick A. Praeger, Publishers, 1966, 322 pages.
NOTES
319
Walter Neale, an economist at the University of Texas, traces briefîy but
clearly India's quest for unity, democracy and économie progress.7 Neale is
struck by the efforts of India's planners to raise Iiving standards through constitutional process rather than by révolution or dictatorship as in most of the
nations surrounding India. Yet her burdens are many — massive poverty,
illiteracy, unemployment, untidiness and malingering in the lower échelons of
government. This well-organized, clearly-reasoned volume is an excellent introduction to India's economic-geographical problems.
Pakistan
Professor Kazi Ahmad, of the University of Punjab at Lahore, présents
a concise gênerai geography of Pakistan in a small volume. 8 His book is quite
useful to the gênerai reader. Spécial emphasis is given to terrain, resource and
urban centers. The quality of illustrations and several original maps are fairly
good. Its chief weakness lies in professor Ahmad's failure to provide geographical interprétation and an analysis of Pakistan's géographie patterns. However, he has successfully summed up the main geographical éléments in Pakistan's make-up. Useful statistics pertaining to climate, crops, population and
industries of Pakistan are given at the end of the book. Supplementing Kazi
Ahmad's book is a text written by Helen Qurashi 9 for use in Pakistani schools.
An outstanding book on Pakistan by a non-geographer is a study by
Donald N. Wilber.10 This volume examines the culture, historical setting,
geography, population and ethnie groups, religion, social structure, foreign relations, labor and agriculture, économie development plans, and foreign and
domestic trade. A brief account of Pakistan is also given by Wilber in a recently published paperback. 11
Richard Weekes attemps to weave together ail the diverse éléments
which make up Pakistan today in a brief volume.12 Historical introduction
occupies nearly one-third of the book. Aspects of family Iife are well presented.
In discussing Pakistan's difficult search for identity, the author fails to focus on
the chief problem : Pakistanis, though desiring separate identity, inherit a
common Indian cultural Iegacy difficult to classify into clear-cut Indian and
Pakistani catégories.
Ian Stephens' Pakistan™ is a good survey of the nation's political history
and major problems. Economie problems confronting Pakistan are described
in détail by Andrus and Mohammed. 14
Of ail the recently published books, Wilber's Pakistan : Its People, Its
Society, Its Culture is by far the best gênerai and comprehensive survey of Pakistan. The sections on ethnology, social structure and Ianguages are well
7
N E A L E , Walter C , India : The Search for Unity, Democracy, and Progress, Searchlight
Séries No. 24, Princeton, New Jersey, D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1965, 128 pages.
8
AHMAD, Kazi S., A Geography of Pakistan, Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1964,
216 pages.
9
QURASHI, Helen S., A Junior Geography of Pakistan, London, Oxford University
Press, 1963, 198 pages.
10
WILBER, Donald N., Pakistan : Its People, Its Society, Its Culture, New Haven, Connecticut, Human Relations Area Files Press, 1954, 487 pages.
11
WILBER, Donald N., Pakistan : Yesterday and Today, Contemporary Civilizations
Séries, New York, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1964, 266 pages.
12
W E E K E S , Richard V., Pakistan : Birth and Growth of a Muslim Nation, Princeton,
D. Van Nostrand Co., 1964, 278 pages.
13
STEPHENS, Ian, Pakistan, New York, Praeger, 1963.
11
ANDRUS, J. Russall, and MOHAMMED, A. F., The Economy of Pakistan, Stanford,
Stanford University Press, 1958.
320
CAHIERS DE GEOGRAPHIE
written and most comprehensive. Geographers may be disappointed in his
treatment of Pakistan's economy, but on the whole the high quality readability
will make this book the basic source material for Pakistan.
Himalayan
Kingdoms
In addition to the available geographical works on Népal 15 and other
Himalayan countries, 16 a number of récent books on the Himalayan area by
scholars in related disciplines may be briefly noted. Geomorphologists will
fmd a wealth of information on Himalayan physiography in a récent book by
Gansser,17 which summarizes most of the available information on physical
aspects. The Gansser work includes a great deal of new information on Bhutan's geology and physiography, and contains many maps, sketches and photographs, including a large geological map of the entire Himalayan Range.
Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf, professor of Asian anthropology at
the University of London, has written an excellent account of the Sherpa inhabitants of Népal. 18 Geographers will find the short chapter « Environment
and Economy )) (19 pages) of great value. Geologist Toni Hagen and G. O.
Dyhrenfurth, along with Erwin Schneider (topographer and cartographer)
and von Furer-Haimendorf, hâve produced an outstantding volume on the
physical and cultural aspects of the Mount Everest région,19 including a Iargescale map of the Everest région prepared by Schneider.
An ethno-sociological study of the Newars of Katmandu Valley furthers
our knowledge of one of the most well-known groups of people living in Népal.
Having intimate knowledge of thèse people, the author has collected his materials scrupulously and analysed them skillfully.
Professor B. P. Shreshtha, of Tribhuban University at Katmandu, provides a systematic account of the Népalese economy.21 His approach is that
of an economist, but geographers will find much of value in this book. The
volume is the resuit of the author's doctoral thesis on the economy of Népal,
submitted to Bombay University. Beginning with a brief introduction to
Nepal's physical environnment, the study évaluâtes material and human resources and analyzes in some détail the problems of agriculture, industry, transportation, public finance and foreign trade. There are numerous misprints in
the book, however, and professor Shreshtha has included « a Iist of glaring errors )) at the end !
Ceylon
phers.
There are two books on Ceylon, written or revised by Ceylonese geograThe well-known study by Cook,22 originally published in the 1930s,
15
KARAN, P. P., Népal: A Physical and Cultural Geograpby, Lexington, Kentucky,
University of Kentucky Press, 1960, 101 pages.
16
KARAN, P. P., and JENKINS, W. M., Jr., The Himalayan Kingdoms : Bhutan, Sikkim and
Népal, Searchlight Séries No. 13, Princeton, New Jersey, D. Van Nostrand Co., 1963, 144 pages.
17
GANSSER, A., Geology of the Himalyas, New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1964, 289 pages.
18
FURER-HAIMENDORF, Christoph von, The Sherpas oj Népal : Buddhist
Highlanders,
Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1964, 198 pages.
19
H A G E N , Toni, D Y R E N F U R T H , G. O.,
F U R E R - H A I M E N D O R F , C. V., and
SCHNEIDER,
E.,
Mount Everest : Formation, Population and Exploration of the Everest Région, London, Oxford
University Press, 1963, 195 pages.
20
N E P A L I , Gopal Singh, The Neivars, Bombay, United Asia Publications, 1965, 476 pages.
21
SHRESHTHA, Badri Prasad, An Introduction to Nepalese Economy, Katmandu, Népal
Press, 1962, 264 pages.
22
COOK, Elsie Kathleen, Ceylon : Its Geography, Its Resources, and Its People, New (2nd)
édition of A Geography of Ceylon, revised and brought up to date by K. Kularatnam, Madras,
Macmillan, 1953, 360 pages.
NOTES
321
has been revised by K. Kularatnam of the University of Ceylon. This revised
version is divided into five parts dealing with historical geography, physical
geography, économie geography, human geography, and a final summary part
describing the natural régions of Ceylon. The book was originally intended
for use as a text in schools, but the revised édition contains such a mine of information that it would be valuable to anyone interested in the geographical
aspects of Ceylon. It is illustrated with several good clear maps and photographs. The revised and enlarged édition of De Silva's 23 régional study on
Ceylon suppléments Cook's systematic geography.
One of the most interesting books on Ceylon is a short volume 24 by B.
H. Far mer, professor of geography at Cambridge University, who is well-known
for his writings on Ceylon. Farmer summarizes the ethnie, religious, Iinguistic
and économie cleavages which divide modem Ceylon, the historical differentiation between highland and Iowland Singhalese, the influx of the Ceylon Tamils,
the rise and décline of the Dry Zone région, and the early importance of Buddhism. The impact of Europeans — Portuguese, Dutch and British — on
Ceylon is analyzed. The Roman Catholic élément is attributed to the Portuguese, and Protestant Christianity to the Dutch. The Iowlands assumed added
commercial importance during the Dutch period. Social and political différences were augmented under the British rule, which saw the rise of an Englisheducated élite, and the introduction of Indian Tamil Iabor for the estâtes. The
fundamental divisions of Ceylonese society and its political conséquences are
described in the Iast chapter of the book, which focuses primarily on the postindependence period.
SYSTEMATIC STUDIES
Land Use and Agriculture
Several studies dealing with land utilization hâve been published in récent years. Mention should be made of the valuable work by professor Shafi
of Aligarh on land utilization in eastern Uttar Pradesh 25 which was carried out
under the guidance of L. Dudley Stamp. This book is divided into 2 parts.
Structure, relief, climate and soils of eastern Uttar Pradesh (comprising the five
districts in the Ganga and Gogra interfïuve) are described in Part 1. Twelve
villages were selected for type studies and their land use and population analyzed
in Part 2. Of the villages studied, four lie on well-drained land, five on illdrained land, two on the présent flood plain (khadar) of the Ganga and Gogra,
and one in the black soil région. The concluding chapter summarizes the principal findings and constitutes the most significant research contribution of the
volume. Some of Dr. Shafti's findings were used by professor Stamp in a paper published in 1958 (Measurement qf Land Resources in Geographical Review,
Vol. 48, 1958, pp. 1-15). This book is an excellent introduction to land use in
the densely settled Ganges plain.
Two monographs published by the East Pakistan Geographical Society
at Dacca provide insight into the land use and agricultural problems of East
Pakistan. 26 Monograph No. 1, Land Use in Rampai Union, was directed by
23
De SILVA, S. F., A Régional Geography of Ceylon, Revised and enlarged édition, Colombo, The Colombo Apothecaries Co., 1954, 301 pages.
21
FARMER, B. H., Ceylon : A Divided Nation, London, Oxford University Press, for the
Institute of Race Relations, 1963, 74 pages.
25
SHAFI, M., Land Utilization in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh, Muslim University,
i960, 280 pages.
26
KHAN, F. K., (Editor), Land Use in Rampai Union, Monograph No. 1, East Pakistan
Geographical Society, Department of Geography, University of Dacca, 1961, 43 pages.
AHMAD, Nafis, and KHAN, F. K., Land Use in Fayadahad Area, Monograph No. 2, East
Pakistan Geographical Society, Department of Geography, University of Dacca, 1963.
322
CAHIERS DE GEOGRAPHIE
Dr. Nafis Ahmad, assisted by Dr. F. Karim Khan and S. H. H. Naqavi. Dacca
geographers hâve admirably executed this intensive study as part of the work
of the World Land Use Survey, The area under study is a compact bïock of
2,200 acres about 10 miles southeast of Dacca. Important for vegetable growing, the authors point out the highly intensive land use in which several crops
follow in succession, depending on such factors as soil texture, flood Ievels and
manuring practices. The principal contribution of the monograph lies in revealing the extremely intensive land use pattern in the Ganges delta.
Monograph No. 2, Land Use in Fayadabad Area by Drs. Nafis Ahmad
and F. K. Khan was financed by the Ford Foundation. Both monographs are
good examples of type studies.
India's prospect for self-sufficiency in food by 1975-76 is examined by
Dr. Sinha in Food in India.21 Présent patterns of food consumption, trends
in population growth, prospects and potentialities of agriculture are discussed
in détail. Sinha's grossly underestimated population projection for 1975 (538
million), computed before the 1961 census figures were released, is revised in
the appendix at the end. A revised population figure of 621 million is predicted for 1975-76 — an increase of 61.7 per cent over 1955-56. Sinha computes
that with a (( 61.7 per cent increase in population )) (page 184), depending on
the rate of rise in the national income, « the demand for food will range between 94 and 115 per cent » (page 185). Only under very optimistic assumptions « we can expect a 100 per cent increase in the supply of food from our
own resources )) explains Dr. Sinha. He concludes that without a radical change
in consumption habits and the pattern of agricultural production, « self-sufïiciency in food will not be attained ...»
M. S. Randhawa has produced a valuable référence book 29 on agriculture
and animal husbandry in India, which clearly brings out the diversity of India
and its agriculture. This study is divided into three sections. The first,
entitled « The Land, » describes the physical setting and geological foundation
of India. The second section describes briefly the major économie aspects of
the various food crops, oilseeds, fibre crops, sugarcane, tobacco, spices and
plantation crops. Tables of production are given for principal products. Maps
showing the distribution of crops would hâve improved the value of the discussion.
The third section deals with farm animais, poultry and fish. There is a useful
bibliography at the end. Mr. Randhawa has compiled much information
concerning Indian agriculture within the range of a single volume.
Dr. Sengupta's book 30 on the jute belt represents the first full-scale
geographical study of a single crop by an Indian geographer. The physical
setting in which jute is cultivated is described in over one-half of the book ;
the remainder deals with an analysis of production cost, price and profit, and the
«jute belt farm.» With admirable maps and well-written text, The Indian
Jute Belt is a valuable contribution to Indian agricultural geography. A few
case studies may hâve improved the volume.
Rice, the most important food crop of India, is the subject of a comprehensive study by Ghose, Ghatge and Subrahmanyan. 31 This volume is
divided into three parts. Part 1 deals with the agricultural aspects of rice and
27
SINHA, R. P., Food in India : An Analysis of the Prospects for Self-Sufficiency by 1975-76,
Bombay, Oxford University Press, 1961, 200 pages.
28
DANTWALA, Mohanlal, India's Food Problem, New York, Asia Publishing House, 1961.
29
RANDHAWA, M . S., Agriculture and Animal Husbandry in India, New Delhi, Indian
Council of Agricultural Research, 1962, 342 pages.
30
SENGUPTA, P., The Indian Jute Belt, Calcutta, Orient Longman's, 1959, 152 pages.
31
GHOSE, M . R. L., GHATGE, M . B., and SUBRAHMANYAM, V., Rice in India, New Delhi,
Indian Council of Agricultural Research, 1960, 474 pages.
NOTES
323
discusses the area of cultivation, production, irrigation, drainage and water
requirements, diseases and pests, use of fertilizers and methods of cultivation.
Several maps illustrate various points made in the text. Part 2 examines the
marketing of rice and discusses supply, demand, priées, classification and grading,
handling and transportation, manufacturing and distribution of rice products.
Part 3 is concerned with the technology of rice processing in India such as parboiling, rice milling, and the utilization of by-products of rice milling. It also
analyses the food value of rice and rice diets and their nutritional improvement.
At the end of each part is a Iist of useful références.
The need for an authoritative volume on the important aspects of production, processing and marketing of this most valuable food grain in India
cannot be overemphasized. The authors of Rice in India, assisted by Research
Officers of the Central Rice Research Institute, deserve crédit for producing
this valuable référence publication.
Geographical aspects of agriculture in West Bengal are analyzed in a
study by S. N. Mukherjea. 32 Ten chapters cover a wide variety of subjects —
physical aspects, weather conditions, irrigation and drainage, soil érosion, Iand
utilization, crops and Iivestock. The brief text has been supplemented by a
number of tables (in the appendix) giving acreage, production and yield of various
crops in différent districts. Illustrated by six maps showing différent aspects
of the geography of West Bengal, this short volume will be of interest to those
seeking a broad knowledge of West Bengal's agriculture.
MINING, INDUSTRIAL A N D TRANSPORT G E O G R A P H Y
Brown and Dey provide a comprehensive study on minerai resources of
postpartition India and Pakistan. 33 Each minerai deposit is described in some
détail, together with a history of its commercial exploitation and trade, gênerai
world supply, industrial use in India, and future prospects. The new édition
includes a section on water and soils as well. Since there are few readily available sources of information on minerais in India and Pakistan, those interested
in the mining industry of the Indian subcontinent should fmd this book most
useful.
Another valuable contribution to the Iiterature on minerais and mining
industry in India is made by A. K. Madan. 34 India's minerai resources are
carefully assessed and the nation's économie potentialities in the mining industry
are examined. The book, divided into three major parts, deals with the growth
of the mining industry in gênerai, a survey of minerais and minerai products,
and problems of the mining industry. The présence of a Iocational map showing
minerai distributions would hâve increased the value of this publication.
Professor Chaudhuri gives a short but critical outline of India's major
industries. 35 This book is divided into 7 chapters. The first présents a broad
outline of the industrial policy of India, as well as an account of the évolution
of Indian industries. Chapter 2 discusses heavy industries. Locational aspects
of ship building, automobile and aircraft industries are analysed in chapter 3,
chemical industries in chapter 4, textile industries in chapter 5, sugar and tea
32
MUKHERJEA, S. N., A Brief Agricultural Geography oj West Bengal, Calcutta, Directe rate of Agriculture, West Bengal, 1956, 163 pages.
33
BROWN, J. Coggin and D E Y , A. K., India's Minerai Wealth, Third Edition, Bombay,
Oxford University Press, 1955, 761 pages.
34
MADAN,_ A. K., Economie Survey oj Minerais in India, New Delhi, Economie &
Industrial Publications, 1959, 228 pages.
3:>
CHAUDHURI, M. R., Indian Industries : Development and Location—-An
Economie
Géographie Appraisal, Calcutta, Oxford Book and Stationery Co., 1962, 138 pages.
324
CAHIERS DE GEOGRAPHIE
in chapter 6, and cottage and small-scale industries in chapter 7. Although
the book is a useful source of information, the analysis is not comprehensive
and cartographie work is poor.
Dr. Jagdish Singh, of Banaras Hindu University, provides the first comprehensive transport geography of one section of eastern India.36 Singh's study
is divided into 3 parts. Part 1 deals with the geographical background of South
Bihar — ail areas of Bihar State Iying south of the Ganges River. Part 2
analyzes the various aspects of road, river and rail transportation. Part 3
points out transport problems and gives suggestions for improving the transport
network. The most valuable and original section of the book is that portion
dealing with the nature and flow of traffic.
Figure 7, showing the physiography of South Bihar (page 11), has been
purposely placed upside down, contrary to the usual présentation of other maps
in the book. This makes a comparison with the physiographic région map
(Figure 6) on the opposite page (page 10) difficult. The maps in gênerai are
poorly drafted and the photographs are unsatisfactorily reproduced. The large
number of maps are based on existing published wrorks. Further field studies
may hâve resulted in more refined régional boundaries for the various économie
régions of South Bihar.
There are several misprints in Dr. Singh's book. For instance, on page
95, the name G. Etzel Pearcy is printed as Etzel, P. G., in footnote 4. The
same error is repeated on page 96. More rigorous editing would hâve certainly
improved this book.
POPULATION A N D SETTLEMENT G E O G R A P H Y
Every ten years since 1871 a census has been taken in India and Pakistan.
The results of each census hâve been published in a séries of volumes. In India
substantial data of value to geographers are contained in the various census
publications, particularly for the 1951 and 1961 Census. Kingsley Davis has
analyzed the vast amount of démographie data in his substantive book The
Population of India and Pakistan.37 Using 1951 census figures, Davis brings
his volume up to the partition of the Indian Empire. It therefore serves as an
excellent référence for future detailed studies of population in India and Pakistan.
Papers dealing with the future growth of India's population, employment
aspects of population growth, population policies, and problems of démographie
research in India are included in a volume edited by Agarwala. 38 The population
projection goes to the period ending in 1981 when India will hâve completed
its sixth Five-Year Plan. The difficulty confronting accurate population projections is clearly brought out by the author. Even the estimated figure for
the 1961 population, presented in discussions in 1959, fell short of the actual
figure by 13 to 21 million ! The major weakness of the essays in this volume
lies in the author's failure to présent régional discussions of the significant aspects
of India's population. In such a large country, significant régional différences
exist in absolute and percentage growth of population, mortality and fertility
rates. Discussions based on total rates for India conceal vital régional différences
which are important for purposes of économie planning. Indian demographers
must give a régional orientation to their population, research.
36
SINGH, Jagdish, Transport Geography of South Bihar, Varanasi, Banaras Hindu University Press, 1964, 271 pages.
37
D A V I S , Kingsley, The Population oj India and Pakistan, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1.951, 263 pages.
38
AGARWALA, S. N . (Editor), India's Population : Some Problems in Perspective Planning,
Bombay, Asia Publishing House, 1960, 208 pages.
NOTES
325
A comprehensive survey of India's population problem has been made
by Dr. C. B. Mamoria. 39 His study is given in twelve chapters with a concluding
section on population policy. The first 58 pages are devoted to a description
of India's « geographical environment. )) Numbers, density, distributional
patterns, including factors affecting spatial distributions, are examined in the
following 50 pages. The growth of population, described in the third chapter,
brings the reader up to the 1951 census. The birth rate, death rate, rural-urban
distribution of population, qualitative aspects of the population (distribution
of Iiteracy and diseases) are each dealt with in separate chapters. Land use
and pressure of population on the land are analyzed in chapters 9 and 10. The
improvement of agriculture, réclamation of wastelands and planned migration
from heavily populated to sparsely populated areas are solutions suggested by
Mamoria to ease the problem of over-population. Problems arising out of the
transfer of population following the partition of India are treated in chapter 12.
Although this book is illustrated with 64 maps and sketches, the quality of
drafting and reproduction leaves much to be desired. Some of the materials
will be of interest to the professional geographer despite the fact that the book
is aimed more directly at the Indian university student.
A récent publication of the Anthropological Survey of India, describing
the distributional pattern of certain items of material culture, 40 will be of interest
to geographers. Variations in the form of villages, types of cottages, staple
diet, plow and husking implements, bullock carts and dress in différent parts of
India are described and illustrated by maps. This study is based on a survey
of 311 districts (out of 322 in the whole of India) where 413 villages were investigated by members of the Anthropological Survey of India. Future volumes,
under préparation now, will deal with other items of material culture such as
agricultural and animal husbandry, pottery and markets. The diversity of
India is well-illustrated in this volume.
India has gone through a period of rapid urbanization during the Iast
two décades. Populations of large cities hâve increased phenomenally. Housing
and civic services hâve Iagged far behind, and overcrowding has Ied to slums
and unwholesome living conditions for a substantial number of urban dwellers.
In 1954 the Research Programmes Committee of the Indian Planning Commission
sponsored socio-economic surveys in several cities through university departments and research organizations ail over India. Several of thèse urban surveys
hâve already been published in separate volumes. 41
The principal fmdings of nine urban survey reports (on Baroda, Gorakhpur, Hubli, Hyderabad-Secunderabad, Jamshedpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Poona
39
MAMORIA, C. B., India's Population Problem, Allahabad, Kitab Mahal Private, Ltd.,
1961, 427 pages.
40
Peasant Life in India : A Study in Indian Unity and Diversity, Calcutta, Anthropological Survey of India, 1962, 104 pages.
41
M A L K A N I , H. C , A Socio-Economie Survey oj Baroda City, Baroda, M . S. University
of Baroda, 1957.
DHEKNEY, B. R., Hubli City : A Study in Urban Economie Life, Dharwar, Karnatak
University, Mysore, 1959.
IYENGAR, S. Kesava, A Socio-Economie Survey of Hyderabad-Secunderabad City Area,
Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Economies, 1957.
M I S R A , B. R., Socio-Economie Survey of Jamshedpur City, Patna, Patna University, 1959.
MAJUMDAR, D. N., Social Contours of an Industrial City, Social Survey of Kanpur, Bombay, Asia Publishing House, 1960.
SOVANI, N . V., APTE, D. P., and PENDSE, R. G., Poona: A Resurvey, Poona, Gokhale
Institute of Politics and Economies, 1956.
S E N , S . N., City of Calcutta : A Socio-Economie Survey, Calcutta, Bookland Private, Ltd.,
1960.
326
CAHIERS DE GEOGRAPHIE
and Surat) hâve been gathered in one volume by Dr. J. F. Bulsara.42 His
book contains a wealth of data on the démographie aspects of urban development, the problem of rural immigration into cities, the Iiteracy and other sociocultural equipment of the migrant and résident inhabitants, their occupations,
incomes, unemployment, underemployment, housing conditions, and the adequacy or otherwise of urban amenities. A chapter on fertility surveys in Kanpur,
Surat, Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Hyderabad furnishes very interesting and
informative détails on the women's attitudes toward family planning, spacing
of births, idéal size of family, and their knowledge and use of contraceptives.
The factual data is presented intact (as given in the nine city surveys)
in the first descriptive part of the book. The collator's analysis is given in the
second section. Part 3 contains a summary of the first two parts and includes
an outline of topics for further research. Among thèse are subjects such as
pilot studies of rural migration, inter-state migration, and towns as centers
of régional development. Geographers interested in urban problems of India
will fmd Bulsara's study quite valuable.
Twenty-three papers presented by social scientists and government officiais (both Indian and American) at a seminar on urbanization in India at
Berkeley, California, in 1960, hâve been published in book form.43 Essays hâve
been grouped into five sections. The first includes mainly démographie studies
that describe urbanization and migration. The second section deals with the
Indian city as it exists today. Geographers will fmd the section on morphology
of Indian cities by John E. Brush particularly valuable. The third section concerns the crucial issues related to the impact of industrialization upon the city
size and growth rates and to the économies of industrial location. The fourth
section discusses the responsibility of the government for the situations described and predicted in earlier chapters. The summary survey of Iiterature on
Indian urban studies by Hoselitz in the fifth section makes the book particularly
valuable.
R. L. Singh's volume on Banaras (Varanasi), and Janaki and Sayed's
book of Padra Town represent the first comprehensive geographical analysis
of a large Indian city 44 and one of India's smaller agro-commercial towns. 45
Using analytical concepts of urban geography, Singh discusses various aspects
of the city, including functional zones and the Iimits and characteristics of
Banaras' service area or umland. The analysis of the city's service area and the
rôle of smaller towns within Banaras' umland as subsidiary service centers is
the most valuable part of the book. The study of Padra, a town with 15,000
inhabitants Iocated some 10 miles from Baroda, is based on intensive field work.
The significant rôle of transportation in analyzing the urban sphère or field of
Padra is clearly revealed. The analysis of Padra's position in the urban hierarchy is weak, but the authors are to be commended for their efforts to fmd a suitabîe methodology for Indian conditions.
Qazi Ahmad has analyzed India's urban System and grouping characteristics of Indian cities,46 using sixty-two variables on the IBM Computing
1?
BULSARA, J. F., Problems of Rapid Urbanisation in India, Bombay, Popular Prakashan, 1964, 215 pages.
13
TURNER, Roy (Editor), India's Urban Future, Berkeley and Los Angeles, University
of California Press, 1962, 470 pages.
44
AHMAD, Qazi, Indian Cities : Cbaracteristics and Carrelâtes, Department of Geography,
University of Chicago Research Paper No. 102. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1965,
184 pages.
45
RAO, V. L. S. Prakasa, Towns of Mysore State, Indian Statistical Institute Séries No. 22,
New York, Asia PublishingHouse ; and Calcutta, Statistical Publishing Society, 1964, 120 pages.
45
SINGH, R. L., Banaras : A Study in Urban Geography, Banaras Nand Kishorc & Bros.,
1955, 184 pages.
NOTES
327
System. His results are interesting in view of the large number of variables
assembled for Indian cities and studied together. An introductory chapter
describing the gênerai objective and background of the study is followed by a
discussion of the various multivariate statistical procédures used in the study.
Results of the grouping analysis are presented in Chapter 3. Dr. Ahmad differentiates five major statistical groups of Indian cities which also show a marked
regionalism : Northern Cities, Southern Cities, Cities with a generally central
location, Calcutta suburbs, and a non-regional group of national metropolies —
Bombay, Calcutta and Delhi. This reviewer finds some aspects of Àhmad's
présentation unsatisfactory, but there can be no question of the scholarly and
scientific spirit of his study. Précise quantitative knowledge, which is at best
half of urban geography, is given hère. Meaningful understanding and imaginative interprétation, which constitutes the other half, is Iacking in this statistical enquiry.
The results of an urban survey of Mysore State, directed by V. L. S.
Prakasa Rao and sponsored by the Régional Survey Unit of the Indian Statistical
Institute, is available in a concise volume. 47 This survey was designed to
yield knowledge of urbanism and urban trends in différent parts of Mysore
State for régional planning purposes. It attempts to delimit régions of poor
urban facilities and amenities within Mysore State and provides the basic
information required in formulating régional plans. With the aid of maps,
Rao clearly brings out the disparities in urban concentration and tries to assess
the potentialities of urban centers in integrated régional development programs. Although written primarily for planners, urban geographers will fmd
this study a great help in providing insight into the geography of towns in South
India.
Various aspects of the urban geography of Allahabad are analyzed in a
study by Ujagir Singh of Banaras Hindu University. 48 Singh's book is based on
his Ph. D. thesis at London University. Most of the materials in the volume
hâve been published earlier in article form in the National Geographical Journal
oj India. The book is organized into ten chapters. The first two chapters deal
with the geographical background and évolution of Allahabad. Growth and
démographie structure of the city are discussed in chapter 3, which is followed
by well-written chapters on the functional régions and cultural zones of the city.
Geographical significance of essential services in Allahabad, the growth of
transport and communications, and the industrial and commercial landscape
are clearly analyzed in following chapters. Perhaps the most significant research
contribution of the book lies in chapter 9 where Singh attempts to delimit the
umland of the city based on a number of indices. Several original map compositions illustrate this volume.
Significant aspects of Dacca's urban development hâve been analyzed in a
joint study by a geographer and statistician. 49 The pre-partition growth of
Dacca, post-partition growth, population projection by 1981, areal growth,
and future urban development are analyzed. This study is illustrated by
excellent maps showing the growth of the city between 1600 and 1947, the
possible extensions of the city by 1981, and the significant rôle of floods in
controlling the expansion of the city which has taken place on Iands above the
normal flood Ievel.
17
J AN AKI, V. A., and S AYED, Z. A., The Geography ojPadra Town, University Geographical
Séries No. 1, Baroda, M . S. University of Baroda Press, 1962, 139 pages.
18
SINGH, Ujagir, Allahabad: A Story in Urban Geography, Varanasi, National Geographical Society of India, 1961, 183 pages.
49
ATIQULLAH, M., and KHAN, F . Karim, Growth of Dacca City: Population andArea, Social
Science Research Project, Department of Statistics, Dacca, University of Dacca, 1965, 42 pages.
328
CAHIERS DE GÉOGRAPHIE
REGIONAL STUDIES
Dr. Kayastha's volume on the Himalayan Béas Basin 50 is a pioneer
régional study of one part of the Himalayas by an Indian geographer.. The
study is divided into 3 parts. The first, dealing with the habitat, provides
a detailed description of the geographical setting of the Béas Basin, which
lies in the Himalayan districts of Kangra, Mandi and Chamba, located in the
states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. A comprehensive study of the economy
of the région is made in Part 2, which contains five chapters analyzing agricultural
economy, agricultural régions, industrial economy, transport, trade and commerce, and conservation of natural resources. The concluding Part 3 deals
with the society and its relationship with habitat and economy. Four chapters
in this part describe the population, settlement pattern and social structure,
and contains type studies of the Ghirths of Kangra Valley and Gaddis of the
Dhauladhar area. The volume is illustrated by several maps of the région.
Most of the photographie illustrations are not reproduced well.
Dr. Kayastha's book contains a wealth of information about a Iittleknown area of the Himalayas. His approach is methodologically sound, but
the chief weakness of the volume lies in the author's failure to bring ont into
full focus the various geographical features which combine to give the Himalayan
Béas Basin its unique géographie personality as a distinctive région.
The narrow, elongated Tarai plain Iying south of the Himalayan foothills
in the state of Uttar Pradesh is the subject of Dr. Singh's study. 51 Divided into
four parts, it deals with physical setting, habitat, economy and society. Three
chapters on the physical setting adequately describe surface features, climate
soils, flora and fauna. Dr. Singh points out the limitations as well as potentialités of the Iand. The four chapters of Part 2 deal with population, house types,
rural and urban settlements. Part 3 on economy analyzes the pattern of
agriculture, industries, transportation and trade. The Iast part has two chapters : one describes the social economy of the Tharus (a Mongoloid tribe) as a
sample study ; the concluding chapter summarizes the principal findings of
the book.
Dr. Singh attributes « neglect and indifférence of the British revenue
officers » as one of the principal factors in the slow colonization of the Tarai in
the xix t h century. Though the population of the Tarai has steadily increased
since 1921, Dr. Singh's study indicates that ((Western Tarai holds out further
possibilities for colonization and resettlement. )) The volume contains 66 wellexecuted maps and diagrams which clearly show the varied geographical features
of the U. P. Tarai. In addition, there are some 39 small photographs illustrating
the Iand and Iife. Dr. Singh's book is a welcome contribution to our knowledge
of the Tarai région, and a valuable addition to the régional géographie literature
on India.
A régional survey of Mysore State, 52 initiated by the Indian Statistical
Institute under the auspices of the Planning Commission of India, has resulted
in two volumes. Vol. 1 is an Atlas oj Mysore State with over 100 maps. Vol. 2
is a régional synthesis based on the maps in Vol. 1. An attempt has been made
to identify régions having similar resources and possibilities for économie develop50
KAYASTHA, S. L., The Himalayan Béas Basin : A Study in Habitat, Economy and
Society, Varanasi, Banaras Hindu University, 1964, 346 pages.
51
SINGH, Lekh Raj, The Tarai Région of Uttar Pradesh : A Study in Human Geograpby,
Allahabad, Ram Narain Lai Béni Plasad, 1965, 145 pages.
52
LEARMONTH, A. T. A., Mysore State, Vol. 1 : An Atlas of Resources (with L. S. Bhat) ;
Vol. 2 : A Régional Synthesis, Indian Statistical Séries Nos. 13 and 16, New York, Asia Publishing
House ; and Calcutta, Statistical Publishing Society, 1961 and 1962, 204 and 1 65 pages.
NOTES
329
ment. The two volumes point out the useful rôle which Indian geography can
play in régional analysis, which provides the vital base for planning. The
Mysore Study serves as a model for geographical analysis and sample survey
techniques needed for developmental purposes. The study was carried out
under the direction of professor Learmonth, whose services were made available
to India under Colombo Plan aid by the United Kingdom.
Professor Enayat Ahmad, one of India's most cdmpetent geographers,
has produced an excellent geographical study of Bihar State, 53 one of India's
sixteen constituent states. The author, professor of geography at Ranchi
University, notes that Bihar is the only State in the Indian Union which includes
both the North Indian Plain and the Peninsular Plateau, and is therefore geographically représentative of the two major physical divisions of the Indian
subcontinent. Dr. Ahmad's study is divided into 5 parts. Part 1, the physical
background, discusses geological origin and évolution, physiography, drainage,
climate, soils and végétation of the state. The value of the study would hâve
been enhanced if the author had presented his own ideas on the physiographic
évolution of Chotanagpur along with the somewhat différent views of eminent
scholars such as professors S. P. Chatterjee, S. C. Chatterji and R. P. Singh.
Part 2 deals adequately with the Iand, water and minerai resources of Bihar.
Part 3 analyzes the economy of the State. This section contains a full discussion
of agriculture, industries, trade and communications.
Part 4, dealing with aspects of population and seulement, is the most
interesting and valuable section of the volume. Dr. Ahmad discusses growth
and distribution of population in Bihar, analyzes the distribution of towns,
their functional structure, morphological character, and the hierarchy of urban
settlements. Types of rural settlement, rural houses and population migration
are described. Part 5 discusses the 15 geographical régions of Bihar. A concluding chapter analyzes the prospects of Bihar State from a geographer's viewpoint.
There are 14 clear, effective maps illustrating this volume, but they are
uneven in coverage of the main topics. For instance, maps needed to illustrate
population distribution and rural settlement types are conspicuously absent.
Bibliographie références are incomplète, omitting many significant geographical
publications on Bihar such as P. Dayal's Bihar in Maps (Patna, 1953). Despite
thèse defects, Bihar : A Physical, Economie and Régional Geography is a valuable
contribution to our géographie knowledge of one of India's most populous and
geographically diverse states.
To professor Nafis Ahmad, of Dacca University, goes the crédit for writing
the first comprehensive volume on the geography of East Pakistan. 54 Professor
Ahmad's book is divided into three main parts containing eleven chapters along
with an introductory section. Part 1 consists of two chapters describing the
physical aspects of East Pakistan with a full discussion of physiographic and
climatic features. Part 2 deals with the «économie geography of the past, )>
in which Ahmad describes the agriculture, industry, trade and transportation
from early times to the xix t h century.
Part 3 analyzes the present-day économie geography of the area. This
section comprises nearly two-thirds of the volume. Economie aspects of agriculture and forest wealth, including Iand utilization, distribution of crops,
changes in crop pattern and related subjects, are fully described. Development
of industries, transport and the pattern of trade in East Pakistan are discussed,
53
AHMAD, Enayat, Bihar : A Physical, Economie and Régional Geography, Ranch Ranch
University, 1965, 420 pages.
51
AHMAD, Nafis, An Economie Geography of East Pakistan, London, Oxford University
Press, 1958, 361 pages.
330
CAHIERS DE GEOGRAPHIE
as are the population distribution and patterns of settlement. The concluding
chapter contains suggestions for the future économie development of East
Pakistan in the Iight of its developed and potential resources. The book is an
excellent example of the scholarly work being done in East Pakistan. With
good, clear maps and a well-written text, Ahmad has succeeded in giving a
vivid geographical picture of East Pakistan.
Haroun Rashid, a former geographer at the University of Dacca, currently
a member of the Pakistan Civil Service, has written a useful study of East
Pakistan. 55 The fifteen chapters of this book cover the varied aspects of the
geography of East Pakistan. The physiography and physiographic régions of
East Pakistan are dealt with at great Iength. The chapters on Iand utilization,
agriculture, fisheries and agricultural régions comprise nearly one-third of
the book. Population and démographie aspects are described in détail. One
chapter is devoted to the aspects of development planning and the rôle geographical research plays in planning in East Pakistan. The chief weakness
of this book is the Iack ofanalysis of geographical facts, which are presented in
encyclopédie fashion. Cartography is poor on most of the 51 sketch maps and
diagrams.
Professor Wikkramatileke, of the University of Singapore (formerly at
the University of Ceylon), has prepared an excellent study of Southeast Ceylon. 56
This book, based on the author's doctoral thesis at the University of London, is
concerned with the analysis of trends and problems of agricultural settlement in
Southeast Ceylon. Wikkramatileke discusses at Iength the physical setting,
historical background and present-day settlement and agriculture in the southeast quadrant of Ceylon. A most valuable section, is chapter 5, dealing with
problems of agricultural settlement and development. Hère the author points
out the problems of increasing productivity in food crops and the potentialities
for increasing acreage under food crops. Illustrated with over 20 maps and
more than 30 carefully selected photographs, this book is an important contribution to our knowledge of Southeast Ceylon.
MAPS AND ATLASES
The most outstanding atlas published in South Asia is the preliminary
Hindi édition of the National Atlas of India.b7 It consists of 26 color plates
with a variety of inset maps showing the physical, économie and cultural aspects
of India. Most of the maps are on a scale of 1:5,000,000 on a full page measuring
2 6 x 1 7 " . The Atlas contains a wealth of information about India. The main
édition of the National Atlas of India, which will contain as many as 300 plates,
is being prepared under the able guidance of professor S. P. Chatterjee, of
Calcutta University, the director of the National Atlas Organization of India.
Professor Chatterjee is also the current président of the International Geographical Union. Several population sheets of the main édition hâve recently
been published. In physical Iay-out, technical exécution and material content,
the Atlas compares favorably with similar publications in Europe and North
America.
55
RASHID, Haroun, East Pakistan : A Systematic Régional Geography and Its Development
Planning Aspects, Lahore, Sheikh Ghulam Ali & Sons, 1965, 387 pages.
56
WIKKRAMATILEKE, Rudoph, Southeast Ceylon : Trends and Problems in Agricultural
Settlement, Department of Geography, University of Chicago, Research Paper No. 83, Chicago,
University of Chicago, 1963, 163 pages.
57
CHATTERJEE, S. P. (Editor), National Atlas of India, Calcutta and Dehra Dun,
Government of India, Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, 1957.
NOTES
331
The Régional Survey Unit of the Indian Statistical Institute has prepared
the Atlas of Resources oj Mysore State™ under the guidance of professor A. T. A.
Learmonth, formerly of Liverpool University, now at the Australian National
University, Canberra. The National Council of Applied Economie Research
has published The Economie Atlas oj Madras State59 containing 55 maps showing
the distribution of natural resources, their potentials, and présent utilization.
Most of the maps are original compilations and represent an important contribution to our knowledge of Madras State.
During the past décade several specialized atlases dealing with spécifie
commodities hâve been published in India. Among thèse one of the most
interesting is The Coconut Atlas oj India.60 India is the world's second Iargest
producer of coconuts, and the atlas présents in a vivid and interesting manner
information concerning the production of coconuts, copra and coconut oil.
There are over 34 maps showing areal distribution, production, trade of coconut
and copra in India. Although the maps could be improved upon, in gênerai
they are clear with good cartography. Statistical data is given in tables relating
to the acreage under coconut and other aspects of the copra industry. This
atlas would be of great value to those interested in the distributional pattern of
the coconut industry in India.
Political geographers will find useful material on the boundary problems
between India and China in the Atlas oj the Northern Frontier oj India.61 This
Atlas contains a séries of detailed maps of disputed border areas. It also contains
photographie reproductions of two maps showing the boundary agreed upon
between Tibet and India at the Simla Conférence (1913-14), signed by the
Tibetan Plenipotentiary.
Geographers interested in the history of mapping and cartography in
India will discover a wealth of information in five volumes of the Historical
Records oj the Survey oj India.62 Thèse volumes hâve been prepared by Colonel
Phillimore of the Survey of India. This reviewer was able to examine only one
volume in the séries, and found it fully documented and illustrated by reproductions of contemporary maps and charts.
*
*
*
The foregoing brief and far from complète review of the contributions to
South Asian geography permits a few conclusions on the status of geography in
the Indian subcontinent. To begin with, géographie writing and research has
expanded significantly. Before 1950 the number of practicing geographers was
small and publications representing current research were few. Since 1950 a
notable expansion has taken place both in the number of geographers and in
their activities. Geography now plays an important part in the académie Iife
and in économie planning in India. The increasing status of geography in this
part of the world is reflected in the fact that for the first time the International
Geographical Congress will meet in India in 1968.
58
Sec footnote 52.
GUPTA, P. Sen, Economie Atlas oj Madras State, New Delhi, National Council of Applied
Economie Research, 1962, 138 pages.
60
The Coconut Atlas of India, Ernakulam, Indian Central Coconut Committee, 1959,
97 pages.
61
Atlas of the Northern Frontier oj India, New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs,
1960.
62
Historical Record oj the Survey oj India, Vol. 4, 1830 to 1842 : George Everest, CoIIected
and compiled by Colonel R. H. Phillimore, Dehra Dun : Survey of India, 1958, 493 pages.
59
332
CAHIERS DE GEOGRAPHIE
However, the rapid growth of the subject and rising fïow of geographical
publications hâve not been matched by uniformly high quality of scholarship.
Not surprisingly, there is variety in approach, but still South Asian geographers
continue to fall into what Professor Spate has rightiy termed « the gazetteer
trap. ))63 More emphasis on field study, interprétation and analysis of facts,
and Iess on mère compilation of information are needed in research and writing.
Some of the books reviewed above show mature scholarship and indicate happy
augury for the future of South Asian geography.
Pradyumna P. KARAN,
University of Kentucky.
63
SPATE, O. H. K., Taking Stock in India and Pakistan : A Revieiv, in Geographical Review,
Vol. 40, 1950, p. 282.